System and method for displaying an image

Abstract

A system ( 48 ) and an associate method for soft proofing image ( 69 ) before print, a system ( 48 ) comprise the image ( 69 ) being displayed at a desired scale and resolution ( 202 ) such that potential artifacts can be detected before the “hard copy” is printed. One non-limiting example of an artifact which can be detected with embodiments of the present invention is Moiré effects.

1. A method for displaying at least a portion of an image, the method comprising:
 scaling spots of input data, said input data corresponding to at least a portion of an image, wherein said scaling correlates the spots to pixels of a display device, and produces a scaled image of said portion of the image; and 
 conforming a size of said scaled image of said portion by optical magnification to produce a displayed image of said portion, such that the displayed image of said portion has substantially the same size as the actual size of said portion. 
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1  comprising at least controlling said magnification according to a ratio between a desired resolution and a resolution of said image. 
   
   
     3. The method of  claim 1  comprising converting at least some of said input data into converted data of a lower resolution. 
   
   
     4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein said converting comprises combining a first number of pixels of said input data into a second number of combined pixels, said second number is smaller than said first number. 
   
   
     5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said input data comprises color data, the method comprising converting at least some of said color data into converted color data corresponding to a plurality of primaries. 
   
   
     6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein said color data comprises ink data, said converting comprises:
 converting said ink data into intermediate spectra; and 
 converting said intermediate spectra into the data corresponding to said plurality of primaries. 
 
   
   
     7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein said plurality of primaries comprises at least four primaries. 
   
   
     8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said input data comprises CMYK print data. 
   
   
     9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said image comprises an image to be printed. 
   
   
     10. A system for displaying at least a portion of an image, the system comprising:
 a controller to receive input data corresponding to at least a portion of said image; 
 a pixilation device controlled by said controller to scale spots of said input data to correlate the spots to pixels of a display device and to produce a scaled image of said portion; and 
 optical magnification device controlled by said controller to conform size of said scaled image of said portion by optical magnification to produce a displayed image of said portion, such that the displayed image of said portion has substantially the same size as the actual size of said portion. 
 
   
   
     11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein said controller is able to convert at least some of said input data into converted data of a lower pixel resolution. 
   
   
     12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein said controller is able to combine a first number of pixels of said input data into a second number of combined pixels, said second number is smaller than said first number. 
   
   
     13. The system of  claim 10 , wherein said magnification device comprises at least an optical zoom lens. 
   
   
     14. The system of  claim 10 , wherein said pixilation device comprises at least a spatial light modulator. 
   
   
     15. The system of  claim 10  comprising a light source to apply light to said pixilation device, said controller is able to control said light source and said pixilation device based on at least some of said input data. 
   
   
     16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein said light source comprises at least a color wheel. 
   
   
     17. The system of  claim 15 , wherein said light source comprises at least four primary colors. 
   
   
     18. The system of  claim 10 , wherein said input data comprises color data, said controller is able to convert at least some of said color data into data corresponding to a plurality of primaries. 
   
   
     19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein said color data comprises ink data, said controller is able to convert said ink data into intermediate spectra, and said intermediate spectra into the data corresponding to said plurality of primaries. 
   
   
     20. The system of  claim 18 , wherein said plurality of primaries comprises at least four primaries. 
   
   
     21. The system of  claim 10  comprising a screen to display a magnified pixilated light pattern resulting from said optical magnification. 
   
   
     22. The system of  claim 10 , wherein said input data comprises CMYK data. 
   
   
     23. The system of  claim 10 , wherein said image comprises an image to be printed.